Christmas Greetings from The Goodwins!

The last 24 hours were frenetic - preparing for a special time with family and friends; enjoying Christmas Eve dinner with Melanie, the kids, and the in-laws; a late night reading by daughter, Madison, from Chapter 2 of the Gospel of Luke; the packaging and wrapping of some final gifts; a visit by you-know-who after midnight; an early, early morning with the children, both of whom were most excited by the morning's activities and the certain discovery of gifts and treats; and then, later in the morning, an inspiring time at Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh with our fellow Christians worshipping and celebrating the Good News.

Commissioner Goodwin Fights for Coastal NC to Rebuild, Recover Post-Hurricane Irene

Starting days before Hurricane Irene made landfall in eastern and coastal North Carolina and for four months thereafter, Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin has been personally and very directly involved with fighting for the rebuilding and recovery of of the Tar Heel state.

For examples of his work on Hurricane Irene matters from August through December 2011, go to here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

As you can see at the above links, Insurance Commissioner Goodwin - who also serves as the State Fire Marshal - first deployed his team into the field before the storm, helping fire departments and communities in advance of the storm. He sent out his investigators to go after scam artists, and activated the propery mediation program and prescription drug assistance program. Goodwin flew by helicopter over 15 stricken counties, touching down and touring three of them, all within 14 hours of Hurricane Irene departing the state.

Commissioner Goodwin has made no fewer than eleven personal trips to eastern and coastal North Carolina to view damage or to assist consumers and local governments with post-Irene issues.

During those visits, he has met with homeowners, business leaders, and locally-elected officials.

The Department and the Insurance Commissioner have also been dismayed - angered - by the acts of commission or omission perpetrated by private and public insurance adjusters, and third parties post-Irene. The Commissioner pledges further action in the near future on this topic once all investigations and analyses are completed.

Among the additional issues tackled by the Department of Insurance and Goodwin: Successfully encouraging FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to improve its services and be on the ground with homeowners at special Insurance Assistance Centers and to extend the period of time for proof of losses -- and addressing various, significant vacation travel insurance matters.

NC Insurance Commissioner Continues to Clean Up Streets from Criminal Fraudsters

As noted on previous posts here and elsewhere, Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin and his dedicated team of law enforcement officers continue to clean up the streets of North Carolina. Go to here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Easily you will note that no fraud is too small for the Commissioner and his team to go after.

Since North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin took office in 2008, criminal investigators have received more than 11,500 complaints, resulting in 550 arrests, 300 criminal convictions, and more than 115 cases currently pending a court appearance. These arrests have resulted in more than $47.6 million in restitution and recoveries for victims.

These law enforcement results signal strong consumer protections at work.

Insurance scam artists, embezzlers and bamboozlers beware -- the Capeless Crusader will be on to you before you know it!